In an interview with The Post, Vitali said the library has also reached out to Netflix to serve as a provider of DVDs and videos. “What we want to do is work with Netflix and really get that inventory together, really use Netflix as the delivery mechanism,” Vitali said.
“We’re getting some good vibrations back. Nothing formal has been settled. What’s really exciting is – it’s my understanding – really the first of its kind, a model for that kind of corporate partnership.”

Watch how this deal plays out closely. If it goes through, it could mean public libraries all over might get access to Netflix’s inventory of 75,000 DVDs. Then any library could cater to the long tail of interests of its users while still maintaining a locol collection. Add to this a “you never know it could happen” deal for streaming content ala iTunes or some other provider and the AV Department starts to look very different yes?

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2 thoughts on “NetFlix & Brooklyn PL”

We’ve been in contact. They suggested several rather convoluted plans that had patrons picking up and dropping off books here in the library (WHY??) I asked if we could do something about offering a discount with a library card instead, and we never heard back. I need to bug them again….

Very interesting, I can see how this would impact the library’s response to patron challenges. Since the library is/would be outsourcing selection duties, there’d be cases where a film in the collection doesn’t meet the library’s selection criteria. At my library the focus is on foreign, indie, and classic films that receive good reviews. I love Netflix, but they’re not worried about whether Eragon received good, bad, or terrible reviews only whether folks will want to rent it. The library would have to do some rethinking of its selection criteria to adjust to the looser standards of Netflix. Perhaps a library profile could be created in the way that we can with other vendors. Makes me wonder how much effort Netflix will make to work with libraries, and in turn what will be required of the library to make this partnership work. Its a very interesting development.